Binding mechanism.



PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

` J. A. PLOPPER.

BINDING MBGHANISM.

No. 784.702. PATENTBD MAR. 14, 1905.

J. A. PLOPPER.

BINDING MECHANISM.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1901.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

J. vA. PLOPPER. BINDING MECHANISM.

APPLIUATION HLBD SEPT. 2B, 1901.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENTED MAR. 14, 1005.

J. A. PLOPPER. BINDING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1901.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

- No. 784,702. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

J. A. PLOPPBR. BINDING MEGHANISM.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 2a, 1901.

s SHEETS-snm s.

. l l l l l Il l l f Chf$ atented March '14, 1905l UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES A. PLOPPER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY.

BINDING NIECHANISIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part ol; Letto.' r; Iatent NO. 784,702, dated March .14 1905,

Application iled September 28, 1901. Serial No. 76,958.

T all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES A. PLOPPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State ot' Illinois,have

invented certain new and useful Im provenients in BindingMechanisms for Grain-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in binding mechanisms for IO grain-harvesters, and is designed to producea device of the class described that shall be simple in its construction and efficient in its operation and that shall be especially adapted for use in corn-harvesters, although it will be I5 understood that it can be used in connection with any other kind of harvesting-machine that may be desired.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the mechanism embodying my invention,showing how it is 2O mounted for longitudinal adjustment. Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofthe same, on a somewhat larger scale, in section on the line A A of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the other end on the same scale as Fig. 2. Fig. LI is a sec- 2 5 tional view through the chain-tightener. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the supporting-arm for the chain-tightener. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of a portion of the mechanisms on a still larger scale; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2,

showing' in full and dotted lines the compresser -hook in the three positions it assumeswhile the gavel is being formed, when the bundle is tripped, and when the bundle is discharged.

The U-shaped binder-frame 10 has secured thereto beneath and parallel to the lower horizontal sleeve l1 the rod 12, which has its righthand end 13 secured to the lug 14, projecting downwardly from said sleeve, while its left-hand end is secured in the casing 15, bolted to the sleeve 11 beneath the vertical portion 16 of the frame. The rod 12 rests on an antii'riction-roller 17, carried by ashort standard 18, secured upon the transverse sill 19, connected to the longitudinal binder-support sill 2O by the interposed bolster 21. Another rolling-support for the frame 10 is furnished by the arm 22, secured to and projecting downwardly from the right-hand end of the sleeve 11 and having the antifriction-roller 23 journaled at the lower end thereof in position to roll upon the horizontal portion of the angle-iron sill 20. To prevent the binder-frame from being moved vertically relative to the main frame, I provide a hook 24 on the top of the standard 18, taking over a rod 12, and likewise an inwardly-turned lug or iiange 25 on the end or' the arm 22, which projects beneath the horizontal portion of the sill 20. A brace 26 for the arm 22 is conveniently secured thereto and to the lug 14. To provide for the driving of the packer-shaft 27, while permitting the longitudinal movement ot' the binder, I square a portion 28 ot' said shaft, which slides through a correspondinglyshaped aperture in the hub of a sprocketwheel 29, to which power is applied and which is journaled in a suitable bearing formed in the bracket 30, secured to the transverse sill 31, which is connected to the binder-support sill by the bolster 32; It will be noticed that this longitudinal adjustment of the binder serves to bring the two supports together in binding short grain and to separate them in binding long grain, so that short grain is bound nearer the butts thanlong grain. This eti'ect is caused by the fact that the butt-adjuster is stationary with reference to the frame,`and consequently the movement ot' the binder longitudinally ot' the frame necessarily varies the distance from the butts at which the bundle is tied. It will also be noticed that the two points of support of the binder are brought closer together when short grain is being tied and are directly beneath the grain, thus concentrating the weight of the grain on the binder over the points ot' support-an advantageous construction, inasmuch as it maintains the equilibrium of the grain over the points or support. Vice versa, when the binder is moved backward for long grain the points of support are separated and still maintained beneath the grain, the weight of which is always evenly distributed above the points ot' support, an advantage not found iu the ordinary construction, where the points of support are always the same distance apart irrespectiveof the length of the grain, which cannot be located directly above the points of su pport in all adjustments.

The packer-shaft 27 is journaled at its righthand end in a preferably self-adjusting bearing 33, mounted in an arm projecting downwardly from a bracket 34, secured to the framework on the under side of the deck 35, which is shown only in Figs. 2 and 7 and omitted in the other figures. This bracket 34 is secured to the angle-iron strip 36, which is secured to one or more lugs 44, projecting forward from the sleeve 11, and which in turn has secured thereto a bracket 37,v which has an arm 38, projecting forwardly therefrom and terminated by the bearing-sleeve 39, in which is mounted the upper end of the packerarm link 40, which has the lower end of the packer-arm 41 pivoted thereto upon thepackercrank 42 at 43 in the customary manner. The bracket 47, which, together with the bracket 37, supports the deck 35, is secured to the strip 36 near its inner end. This bracket 47, which is similar to the bracket 37, has the arm 48 secured thereto, terminating in the bearingsleeve 49 for a packer-arm link 50, which has the other arm` 51, pivoted to the lower end thereof, this packer-arm being vibrated by the packer-crank 52, to. which it is pivoted at 53, the two cranks 42 and 52 being connected by the sleeve 54. Just beyond the packercrank 52 the shaft 27 is supported by the pref* erably self-adjusting bearingI 55, mountedin the bracket 56, (see Fig. 6,) secured to and projecting (,lownwardly from the right-hand end of the sleeve 11. It is also supported near its left-hand end by the preferably selfadjusting bearing-sleeve 57, secured in the lower end of the bracket 15.

Rigidly secured upon the left-hand end of the packer-shaft 27 is the cross-head 58, constituting the constantly-rotating half of the intermittent clutch mechanism for driving the cam-shaft when the bundles are to be bound. Loosely mounted on the shaft 27 between the cross-head 58 and the bearing 57 is the sleeve 59, constituting the intermittently-rotating half of the clutch mechanism. This sleeve has the ears 6() thereon, between which is pivotally secured by a pin 61 the driving-dog 62, which has the enlarged end 63 thereof' normally contacting with the end 64 of the tripstop 65 and held thereby against the resistance of the spring' 66, secured to the lug 67 on the opposite side of the sleeve 59 and to the lower end of the dog 62 in such position that the clutch-lng 68 on the outside thereof is out of the path of the clutch-roller 69, journaled on the inside of the cross-head58. When the trip-stop 65 is shifted by the mechanism to be subsequently described, the spring 66 throws the driving-dog 62 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, where the clutch-lug 68 is engaged by one of the. rollers 69 and lthe sleeve 59 is compelled to rotate with the packer-shaft 27 until it is released therefrom by the means to be described.

Arranged to rotate with and preferably formed integral on the inner end of the sleeve 5 9 is the gear-pinion 70, which meshes with a corresponding pinion 71, journalcd on the bearing-stud 72, projecting outwardly from the bracket 15. The pinion 71 has secured thereto and preferably formed integral therewith the sprocket-Wheel 73, which by means of the chain 74 rotates the cam sprocket-wheel 75 once by several of its own rotations. The cam-wheel 75 is secured to the left-hand end of the cam-shaft 76, which is journaled in the sleeve 77, constituting the upper horizontal arm of the U-shaped binder-frame. The camshaft 76 has on its right-hand end the discharge-arms 78 and the knetter-driving gearwheel 79, which operates the knotter meehanism (not shown) in the customary manner for this class of devices. The breastplate 80 and its associated parts are supported from the end of the sleeve 77 in the customary manner. The cam-wheel '75 has projecting from the outer surface thereof the pintle 81, upon which is pivoted one end of the customary link 82, the other end of which is secured to the crank-arm 83 of the needle rock-shaft 84 at a greater distance from the center of the shaft 84 than its other end is from the center of the cam-shaft 76, so that at each rotation of the cam-wheel 75 the needle rock-shaft 84 is swung forward and back through the necessary are to operate the needle 85, secured to the end thereof just beyond the end of the sleeve 11, in which it is journaled.

The tri p-stop 65 is secured on a short sleeve 86, loosely mounted on the needle-shaft 84 between the crank-arm 83 and the stationary collar 87, projecting from the end of the sleeve l1, concentric therewith and forminga portion of the bearing for the shaft 84. The rod 88, pivoted to the crank arm 83 at 89, as best seen in Fig. 6, passes through an aperture formed in the. lug on the trip-stop 65, and a helically-coiled expanding-spring 91, surrounding the rod 88 and interposed between the upper side of the lug 90 and the nut 92, screwed on the threaded end of the rod 88, serves to hold the trip-stop 65 vieldingly in the position shown in Fig. 6 with the lug 90 against the arm 83 and its end 64 in engagement with the enlargement 63 of the end of the driving-dog 62. The rearward limit of movement of the sleeve 86 is determined by the lug 93 thereon, which overlaps and cooperates with the lug 94, secured on the collar 87. The binder tripshaft 95, whose crank end 96 normally rests just beneath the trip-stop 65 as it is rocked by the means to be described, serves to swing the stop 65 so that its end 64 is out of engagement with the end 63 of the driving-dog 62, so that the spring 66 can operate to swing IIO the dog 62 into position to engage the clutch members and start the rotation of the camshaft 76. When the needle rock-shaft swings back to its normal position after the bundle is bound, the trip-stop 65 is in position to intercept the driving-dog 62 and rock it until the sleeve 59 and the shaft 27 are unclutched, after which the binding' mechanism rests until another gavel is formed by the packer-arms and the trip-shaft is rocked again to release them. By adjusting the position of the nut 92 on the rod 88 the tension of the spring 91 will be regulated and the size of the bundle, and more especially the amount of pressure necessary to control the tripping' mechanism, will be regulated.

The binder trip-shaft 95 has the U-shaped offset 97 therein between the main body thereof and its eccentric end 96 to avoid interfering with the chain 74, which is also held away from the offset, as seen in Figs. 3 to 5, by a pulley-wheel 98, journaled on the bearingsleeve 99, formed on the lower end of the arm 100, which has the cam-surfaces 101 on the upper end cooperating with the complementary cam-surfaces 102, formed on the bracket 103, projecting from the vertical portion 16 of the binder-frame 10, the arm being held in the desired position of adjustment by the bolt 104 passing through suitable recesses in the arm and the bracket and having the nut 105 coperating therewith. r1`he trip-shaft 95, as seen in Fig. 6, is journaled at one end in a recess 106, formed between the bracket 107 and the lug 108, projecting rearwardly from the lower left-hand corner of" the binderframe 10, being held therein by the pin 109 passing through apertures in the bracket and the lug,-while its other end is journaled in a suitable recess formed in the portion 110 of the bracket 56. The upwardly-projecting crank-arm 111 has pivoted on thc horizontal end 112 thereof the sleeve 113, forming the end of the compressor-hook-supporting arm 114, which has the horizontal end 115, to which the compressor-hook 116 is secured on the same level as the sleeve 113 and connected therewith by the U-shaped portion 117, which is necessary to get beneath the sleeve 11 and the angle-iron 36, so that the arm and compressor-hook can drop down to the position shown in heavy dotted lines in Fig. 7 when the bundle is discharged. To regulate the size of the bundles, the hook 116 is adjustably secured to the horizontal end of the arm 114 by the bolt 118 passing through one of the several apertures 119 in the end 115. The arm 114 is also pivotally secured, as at 120, on the inner end of the horizontal portion 115 to the upper end of the link 121, whose lower end is pivotally secured upon the pin 122 on the outer end of the crank-arm 123, secured to the right-hand end of the compressor-hook shaft 124, which, as seen in Fig. 1, is journaled in a bearing-bracket 125, secured to and projecting downwardly from the right-hand end of the sleeve 11, and in the bearing-lug 126, projecting down from the left-hand end of the sleeve 1 1. This compressor-hook shaft 124 has secured upon its left-hand end a crankarm 127, which is normally held against the projection 128 on the lug 126 by the tension of the helically-coiled expanding-spring 129,

interposed between the head 130 of the rod 131, pivoted at its lower end to the outer end of the crank-arm 127 and the end 132 of the yoke-bar 133, through which the rod 131 passes, the other end of which is pivotally secured at-134 to the forward end of the compressor bell-crank 135, pivoted to the vertical portion of the sleeve 16 at 136 between it and the cam-wheel 75. The compressor bell-crank 135 carries at its rear end the antifrictionroller 137, which cooperates with the camliange 138, secured to the inner face of the wheel 75 and consisting of the concentric circular portion, terminated at one end by the projection 139 and at the other end having the offset 140, from which the inclined cam portion 141 leads to the projection 139.

The operation of the various parts in so far as it has not been previously described is as follows: With the parts locked in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 7 the packer-arms in forming the gavel eventually through the pressure of the gavel force' the compi-essorhook 116 to the position shown in light dotted lines in Fig. 7, the movement of the arm 114 being entirely horizontal, as it has a swinging movement substantially parallel to the deck, being supported by the crank-arm 111 and the link 121, which swing to their dottedline positions, the link 121 being firmly although yieldingly supported in its uppermost position by reason of the roller 137 being engaged with the projection 139 of the cam-flange 138. The movement of the parts to the light-dotted-line position of Fig. 7 rocks the trip-shaft 95 sufficiently so that its crank end 96 operates the trip-stop, and the binding mechanism begins to operate. As thc needle 85 reaches around the bundle and coinpresses it against the hook 116 while the bundle is being tied the hook'116 is held in its vertical position by the roller 137 coperating with the circular portion of the cam-flange 138; but as soon as the knot is tied and the needle is retreating the roller 137 falls off of the shoulder 140, allowing the compressorshaft to rock, so that the compressor-hook swings down to the position shown in heavy dotted lines in Fig. 7, in which the dischargearms 78 can force the bundle off of the deck 35. Just prior to the completion of the rotation of the cam-shaft 76 and the locking of the parts in normal position the inclined portion 141 of the cam-fiange forces the compressor-shaft and its connected parts back to the full-line position of Fig. 7, in which they are locked until the completion of another lOO gavel trips the mechanism and starts the binding operation again.

While I have shown my invention as embodied in the form which I at present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, it will be understood that it is capable of some modifications and that I do not desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claims by the language thereof, but only as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a binding mechanism, the combination with the deck having the binder trip-shaft eX- tending longitudinally beneath it, of the compressor-hook, the compressor-hook-supporting arm, connections between said arm and shaft which permit a movement of the arm substantially parallel to the deck to move the shaft, and supports for said compressor-hooksupporting arm so that as it moves in a line parallel to the deck the binder trip-shaft is moved to start the binding mechanism; substantially as described.

2. In abinding mechanism, the combination with the deck having the binder trip-shaft eX- tending'longitudinally beneath it, of the compressor-hook, the compressor-hook-supporting arm pivotally connected to said trip-shaft, and supports for the arm which together with said pivotal connection constrain it andthe hook to move parallel to the deck to move the trip-shaft to start the binding mechanism and subsequently to swing' down to permit the discharge of the bundle; substantially as described.

3. 1n a binding mechanism,the combination with the deck having the binder trip-shaft extending longitudinally beneath it, of the compressor-hook, the compressor-hook-supporting arm pivotally connected to said trip-shaft, the compressor-hook shaft having a crank-arm thereon, the link pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the compresser-hook-supporting arm and the crank-arm, and means for preventing the rotation of said compressorhook shaft except when a bundle is to be discharged; substantially as described.

4. Inabinding mecl'lanisnnthe combination with the frame having` the sleeve 11, of the deck 35 supported above said sleeve, the binder trip-shaft 95 journaled in the rear of said sleeve and having the crank end 112 above said sleeve 11, the compressor-hooksupporting arm 114 having the U-shaped portion 117 pivotally connected to the-end 112 and extending beneath the continuation of the axis of said sleeve 11, the compressor-hook 116 secured on the forward horizontal end of the arm 114, the compressor-hook shaft 124 located beneath the sleeve 11 and having the normally horizontal crank-arm 123, the link 121 connecting the end of the crank-arm 123 and the horizontal portion of the compressorhook-supporting arm 114, and means for preventing the rotation of the compressor-hook shaft 124 except when a bundle is to be discharged; substantially as described.

5. In a binding mechanism, the combination with the frame having the sleeve 11, of the binder trip-shaft 95 journaled in the rear of said sleeve andhaving the crank end 112 at one end, lthe crank end 96 at the other end, the U-shaped bend adjacent to the crank end 96, the trip-stop cooperating with the crank end 96, and the bindinglmechanism including the sprocket-wheel 73 and the sprocket cam-wheel 7 5 connected by the sprocket-chain 74 in the plane of the U-shaped bend in the binder tripshaft; substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with the framework of the machine, of the binding mechanism longituditudinally movable thereon, and connections between said framework and binding mechanism comprising two supports, one carried by the framework and the other by the binding mechanism, and which are brought together as the binder is adjusted for binding short grain and which are separated as the binder is adjusted for binding long grain; substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with the framework carrying' the supporting-bracket 18 provided with an antifriction-roller and having the substantially horizontal bar 20, of the binding mechanism longitudinally movable thereon and including the rod 12 resting on the antifriction-roller on the bracket 18, and the downwardly-projecting bracket 22 having the antifriction-roller 23 resting on the bar 20; substantially as and for the purpose described.

JAMES A. PLOPPER.

WVitnesses:

HUGH J. ELDER, ERIK A. IJIQARSON. 

